Staff report: Two union charges against paper dropped

June 9, 2007 8:53 AM

SANTA BARBARA Two unfair labor practice charges filed by an arm of the Teamsters Union against News-Press parent company Ampersand Publishing LLC have been withdrawn.

Earlier this week, National Labor Relations Board representatives announced no complaints would be issued over the paper's restatement of its conflict of interest policy or statements made to the press by one of its attorneys.

The Graphic Communications Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which is seeking to represent newsroom employees, filed the charges with the National Labor Relations Board.

NLRB lawyers in Los Angeles decided the paper did nothing wrong regarding its conflict or interest policy. The unfair labor practice charge involving statements made earlier this year by attorney A. Barry Cappello was reviewed by labor board lawyers in Washington, D.C., who determined no complaint would be filed.